We’re looking forward to hearing from YOU!

Blessings abound. 🙂
Loren and Ruth Fenton

A Sacred Gift From God

The most sacred gift God gave to the human race, following the gift of life itself, was the freedom of choice.

The very moment the Creator breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils He bequeathed a power not unlike that of His own. God had freely chosen to make the planet we call Earth to be Adam’s home. When it was complete He then said, “Let us make man in our own image” (Genesis 1:26).

Both male and female human beings were “made in the image of God” (v. 27), capable of choosing a course of action, making decisions, determining their own future and fate. This awesome power of freedom was given unconditionally, without reservation or restriction.

And it is ours yet today. Even when Adam and Eve chose the way of sin and rebellion God honored His gift of freedom to the human race, He Himself choosing the route of sacrifice and redemption rather than obliteration for the disobedient pair. God chose the way of love.

A Sacred Gift From Parents

The most sacred gift parents can give their children is to help them develop foundational skills for healthy, positive choices.

Every individual has a life to live which no other person can live for them, be they parent, teacher, pastor, friend, or foe. We all make myriads of choices every day. Strong abilities for making good decisions form the most important resource in a child’s survival toolkit.

A parent’s task is to equip the child for success by training the freewill muscles through exercise and loving discipline. This is done by allowing children to wrestle with issues important to them, coaching them in the decision-making process, honoring whatever decisions the child makes, and standing by them as they live with the consequences – positive or negative.

Following this practice is often nerve-wracking and stressful for parents! Nevertheless, the fruit resulting from this parenting protocol is that whatever the challenge in life beyond the nest, children are thus empowered to live productively within or across the cultural boundaries of their world.

(Note: This is a slightly edited re-post of a piece I wrote back in September. It seems timely to share it again.)

Imagine a World Without Police

“To Serve and Protect”

There has been a lot of negative press recently about out-of-control police actions, police brutality, police corruption, police militarization, etc., etc., etc. There’s no legitimate excuse or justification for any of this, of course, because the police are sworn to “serve and protect” the people in their local jurisdictions – town, city, township, county, or state. Police thuggery is not serving and protecting. Rogue cops must be held accountable for their actions, just as any common criminal whom they might be seeking to apprehend. Integrity in the police force is an absolutely mandatory expectation by the citizens they serve.

Police are Needed in a Less-Than-Perfect World

That being said, in our less than perfect world, a police force is also absolutely mandatory. On the rare occasions in history when police have gone on strike because of a labor dispute or other provocation, the results have rarely been pretty. In fact, things usually get downright ugly. Unrestrained mobs rampage through the streets of cities, looting, burning, and destroying nearly everything in their paths. Murders, rapes, and robberies skyrocket. People who just want to live in peace have their lives turned upside-down by alcohol and drug-fueled crazies with no fear of getting caught or being held accountable of their actions.

Without Police No One is Safe

Yes, for peace to prevail in human society, there must be a police presence actively enforcing the law and bringing law-breakers to justice. Without the police no one is safe. They deserve our respect, support, and encouragement. But we must also remember that police officers are also human beings, with all the personal strengths and weaknesses we all share. They lay their lives on the line for the rest of us every day they show up for work. Let us thank God for them, and let us also pray for their protection, their families, and that God will give them wisdom and guidance as they “serve and protect.”

As I noted in another post I’ve been working on setting up an official podcast in which I will post a variety of thoughts, mostly in audio format. In the course of this process I am also learning quite a bit about other digital communication mechanics. One of those items now allows me to post here on our WordPress site (aka www.akrana.com) (which we now have titled “Akrana Goodlife Connections!”), and have the link automatically posted to Twitter. I know there is a way to make the Facebook connection also, but I still have to explore that and see if it is functional, or if there is more I need to do to make that work.

Anyway, this is basically a test post. I will probably take it down in due time when I climb a little higher on this learning curve.